Simplers Botanicals Essential Oil Organic Chamomile Moroccan Blue - 2 ml.
Having the most chamazulene of all the blue oils, Simplers Botanicals Essential Oil Organic Moroccan Blue Chamomile has an intensely sweet scent and deep blue color. Simplers Botanicals Essential Oil Organic Moroccan Blue Chamomile has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and mild antiseptic properties. Simplers Botanicals Essential Oil Organic Moroccan Blue Chamomile may be used for dry skin.
Why Choose Organic Essential Oils?
As a company operated by herbalists, Simplers Botanicals is a huge supporter of organic farming and organic oils. The batch number on the label of their finished product traces the source of their ingredients back to the original farm it was sourced from.
Organic means that the products have no hidden synthetic ingredients, do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO's) and the manufacturing facilities have passed certification inspections. Organic farmers work to create a balanced and sustainable farming system and have a concern for the future of the land on which they farm.
Organic farming produces herbs and plants that are free of pesticides, herbicides and their residues. Extracting essential oils from modified or chemically treated plants can produce essential oil with traces of these elements and less than pure results. To be truly effective, essential oils must be absolutely pure and 100% natural. Non organic, synthetic, adulterated or improperly distilled oils, although less expensive, will not provide the same desirable effects and may even have adverse effects. Without knowing the source, non organic essential oils may contain many neutral and unnatural additives.
Another important feature of using organic plants is that the plants grow freely without the aid of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Some of the important constituents found in plants are naturally produced by the plant to protect itself from pests and other environmental stressors. Many of these defense mechanisms they produce are the essential oils themselves! In light of this, it can be argued that chemical and pesticide-aided plants need not be as self reliant and may not produce the same constituents. In addition, organic soil has been shown to provide more nutrients to the plant, and much is being written in the press about the vitality of organic plants.
Organic farming is gentler on the environment, encourages a diverse habitat for birds and animals, protects the quality of water, provides a safer workplace for farmers and produces plants that offer the natural full spectrum of healing constituents. Organic farming encourages farmers to take an active role in the quality of their crops and farmers are rewarded with premium prices for their crops.
How are Essential Oils made?
Essential Oil distilleries have classically used hydrodiffusion (steam distillation) to produce Essential Oils. During distillation, steam runs through the plant material. The hot steam breaks down the cells of the plant and carries the essential oils to a cooling chamber where the hydrosol (water portion of the plant) and the essential oil (volatile oils of the plant) are then separated.
Like fine wines, the end result is dependent upon several factors which include: growing methods (preferably Organically grown, Bio-dynamically grown, or Ethically wildcrafted), geography, climate, soil conditions, and most importantly, the technique and expertise of the distiller. The amount of essential oil that each distillation yields is dependent upon the plant. Price is usually a reliable indicator of how much oil each crop yields. For example, it takes approximately 30 rose buds to produce a single drop of rose otto essential oil. 1 ml (approximately 30 drops) then, is sold for about $35 on the retail market. Lavender, on the other hand, yields approximately 4 liters of oil per ton of plant. A 5 ml (1/6 of an ounce) bottle of true lavender is found for about $10-$15.
Carbon Dioxide Extraction
A relatively new method of extraction that is being employed is called carbon dioxide extraction, or CO2. This process utilizes the "supercritical" state of CO2, when it acts both as a gas and a liquid. The required equipment used for this method is quite expensive but yields a higher volume of essential oil, making more expensive oils such as frankincense and myrrh more widely available. CO2 extraction, which is cooler than steam distillation, is also gentle on the plant material and yields essential oils with exceptionally true aromas.
Cold Press Extraction
Most high quality citrus essential oils are obtained from a cold pressing of the rind or peel. This process is often called scarification. As in steam distillation, to insure high quality essential oils it is necessary to use only the finest plants available. The common use of chemical pesticides in industrial citrus farming makes using organic citrus essential oils especially important. Many citrus essential oils on the market are bulk essential oils of inferior quality made by steam distillation of the peels rather than scarification.
Another method used to extract essential oils from plants is by using solvents. These oils are called absolutes. Absolutes are commonly used to extract the essence from very delicate plant parts like flower petals. Common absolutes are Rose, Jasmine and Mimosa. These are used primarily for perfumery and blending, and because of the solvents used in extraction, are not considered to be a therapeutic grade.
Essential Oil Blending Basics
Creating your own fragrances is a playful art, requiring little more than intuition, imagination, a passion for aroma, and attention to a few simple guidelines. There are no absolute rules as to which oils blend well together, so feel free to experiment! But remember, your blend will be greatly enhanced by using the highest quality pure plant essential oils you can find.
Easy Aromatherapy Blends
Start small, mixing no more than 2 to 5 oils per blend and blending drop by drop. To get a feel for particular combinations of oils, put the bottle caps together and smell them, or use small strips of coffee filter or blotter paper. Working in a warm room will enhance the aromatic qualities of the oils. If your oil bottles are not equipped with dropper tops, measure oils with a glass dropper, rinsing it in isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and wiping it off between each oil. Extremely thick oils, such as benzoin and vetiver, may need to be diluted with a little grain alcohol (such as Everclear, or perfumery grade grain or grape alcohol) before blending. When your nose becomes fatigued, smell a piece of wool or a jar of coffee beans to refresh your sense of smell.
Top Notes, Middle Notes and Base Notes
Most professional fragrances are composed of a balance of oils from these three different categories, which are based on oil evaporation rates. Once again, there are no hard and fast rules about which oils belong in which category or how much of each to use, so it is up to your nose and your intuition! This is the art of blending fragrant oils.
Top notes (5% to 20% of the blend) have the fastest evaporation rates. These are sharp, penetrating scents that you notice first when you smell a blend and they are the quickest to dissipate and disappear. Examples are citrus, needle oils, eucalyptus, mints and some spices. In general, top notes are considered stimulating and refreshing.
Middle notes (50% to 80%), also called Heart notes, are soft and balanced and usually make up the majority of a blend. They include oils like Roman chamomile, lavender, geranium, and petitgrain. Middle notes are considered harmonizing.
Base notes (5% to 20%) have the lowest evaporation rates, are deep and heavy, and are used in blends as fixatives (stabilizes and increases the tenacity or "staying power" of a blend). Many are resins, gums or woods and may be quite viscous (thick). Base notes, which are considered grounding and relaxing, include angelica, benzoin, balsams, myrrh, spikenard, patchouli, vetiver and sandalwood.
Many oils fall into more than one category.
Aromatherapy Blending Tips
Your blend can be added to a base of vegetable oil or body lotion for application. Jojoba Oil is a good choice because of its stability and long shelf life. Usually a 10% - 15% dilution of essential oil to carrier oil is appropriate for perfume applications and 5 - 15 drops of blend per ounce of carrier oil (Almond, Sunflower, Grapeseed, etc.) or lotion for healing massage blends. If you don’t immediately love your creation, be patient. Blends undergo great transformations as they age, and over time your ‘mistake’ could evolve into an aromatic treasure.
Alternately, you can add your blend to a base of pure grain alcohol (190 proof is best). This works especially well when working with resinous oils and absolutes. 15-30 drops essential oils in 3mls of alcohol is a typical dilution. This could be kept in a small bottle to dab onto pulse points. For a cologne, a combination of alcohol and water is used (1 part alcohol to two parts water). This can be put in a small spray bottle.
Storing Essential Oil Blends
Store your finished blend in as small a bottle as possible (amber or cobalt blue glass bottles are best). Aromatherapy blends (and all essential oils) should be kept cool, away from direct sun.
Be sure to keep detailed notes and label all of your blends so you can reproduce your successes or adjust blends that do not satisfy you. Keep in mind that essential oils tend to vary somewhat from crop to crop, so a reproduced blend may differ slightly from your original.
Simplers Essential Oil Dilution Guide
With Essential Oils more is not necessarily better. Some people experience skin sensitivities to even mild essentials oils when applied diluted and or neat (undiluted) to the skin (children and the elderly are especially sensitive). Test yourself for sensitivity by applying your chosen essential oils in a dilution to a small skin area before using on a larger area.
These are a few of the more popular dilutions for pure essential oils.
Remember that with essential oils, one drop goes a long way. Pure essential oils are volatile oils that easily penetrate the skin and some may cause skin irritation or sensitivity if not properly diluted in a carrier oil or lotion, or if used in high concentrations. Always be sure to use only pure essential oils from a trusted source.
About Simplers Botanicals
For over 32 years, Simplers Botanicals has been a leading source of therapeutic quality, certified organic essential oils and herbal extracts. Their exceptional line of products reflects their inherent passion for quality, purity and integrity. With over 100 essential oils, therapeutic perfumes, hydrosols, infused and carrier oils, topical blends and facial treatments, Simplers Botanicals brings the marketplace authentic products with unparalleled aromatic potency.
Their experienced staff herbalists source organic essential oils direct from artisan distillers all over the world to ensure they are genuine, species specific, expertly distilled and 100% pure. They offer certified organic essential oils whenever an organic option is available, and occasionally when necessary, they opt for ethically wildcrafted, non-organic oils of the highest therapeutic potency.
All of their certified organic products are USDA NOP certified by CCOF, a USDA NOP accredited certifying agency. They enjoy supporting organic farms in France, Germany, Egypt, Nepal, Madagascar, Albania, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Indonesia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Croatia, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Most of their staff are graduates of the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville, CA. Their blending and bottling specialists all share a reverence for plants, the environment, and the Earth, and this is reflected in the care used to prepare their products.